liberalism

noun

lib·​er·​al·​ism ˈli-b(ə-)rə-ˌli-zəm 

plural liberalisms

1

: inclination to be open to ideas and ways of behaving that are not conventional or traditional

Raised by parents who prided themselves on their liberalism and charity, she was encouraged to romp with her brothers, to succeed in her schooling and to absorb her father's patriotic war stories.

—Susan Reverby

compare conservatism sense 1a

2

a

see usage paragraph below : a political philosophy based on belief in progress and stressing the essential goodness of the human race, freedom for the individual from arbitrary authority, and protection and promotion of political and civil liberties

The second root of modern democracy is liberalism, defined as that set of social and political beliefs, attitudes, and values which assumes the universal and equal application of the law and the existence of basic human rights superior to those of state or community.

—Raymond D. Gastil

Certainly, part of the reason certain newspapers (like this one, founded in 1881) have committed to objectivity is because of a strong, moral commitment to the free exchange of ideas—liberalism, in its classic sense.

—Jack Herrera

especially : such a philosophy calling for the government to play a crucial role in relieving social inequities (such as those involving race, gender, or class) and in protecting the environment, and often including the aims of social liberalism

Through the commerce clause, courts began giving Congress new powers, opening the way to the programs and policies of mid-century liberalism.

—Louis Menand

b

: a political philosophy based on the belief that freedom of the individual is paramount and that government's role should be largely limited to protecting that freedom : classical liberalism

c

Liberalism : the principles and policies of a Liberal party (see liberal entry 1 sense 1c)

d

: a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard (see gold standard sense 1)

Economic liberalism is based on the principles of personal liberty, private property, and limited government interference. The term "liberalism" should be understood in its historical context. Classical liberalism emphasized liberty from government regulation. In the economic context this would include the elimination of restriction on the choice of occupations or transfers of land.

—William Gissy

e

often Liberalism : a movement in modern Protestantism emphasizing the spiritual and ethical content of Christianity and rejecting the absolute authority of ecclesiastical dogma (see dogma sense 2) in favor of critical interpretation that considers modern ideas and knowledge

The social and intellectual upheaval of the late nineteenth century eventually led to a rupture in Protestantism. Some drifted toward theological liberalism, rejecting historically orthodox beliefs about Jesus's birth, humanity's need for salvation, and other supernatural parts of the Bible; others retrenched and formed the fundamentalist movement.

—Michael Luo

liberalist

ˈli-b(ə-)rə-list 

adjective

or less commonly liberalistic

ˌli-b(ə-)rə-ˈli-stik 

liberalist noun

plural liberalists

Usage of Liberalism and Progressivism

The words liberalism and progressivism are both associated with the political left (see left entry 2 sense 3a) and are sometimes used interchangeably to refer to the same basic leftist political philosophy that government should be used to improve the lives of the citizenry.

In the U.S. liberalism means the embrace of an activist, interventionist government expanding its involvement and responsibilities in the economy and centralizing decision making. … During World War I some of the leading progressive writers began to use the word liberalism as a substitute for progressivism, which had become tarnished by its association with their fallen hero, Theodore Roosevelt, who had run and lost on a Progressive third-party ticket.

—Daniel Yergin and Joseph Stanislaw

However, distinctions between liberalism and progressivism are commonly made. When the two are distinguished, liberalism is held to focus on protecting the freedom of the individual from arbitrary authority and other infringements (a concept that can be traced back to early classical liberalism), while progressivism is regarded as focusing on advancing rights and protections for marginalized groups.

Liberalism was the political ideology that sparked the American Revolution. … The government's role within this liberal ideology was to protect individual rights. As economic power became more concentrated in the late 1800s, that liberal ideology evolved so that Americans saw the government's role not as limited to protecting their rights, but also as protecting their economic well-being. This latter role is the ideology of progressivism.

—Randall G. Holcombe

Until recently, left-wing ideology had been dominated by traditional liberalism, which advocates for equality through persuasion and consensus-building across voting blocs. More recently, progressivism has challenged this view, emphasizing political activism within, for example, racial and cultural identities.

—Geoff Haddock

"But I think, in my view and my understanding, progressivism starts with this idea that government exists to help achieve a national purpose and enable our own individual self-expression and self-realization. … [L]iberalism thinks that freedom is freedom from foreign rule, freedom to participate in government. Progressivism thinks that freedom fundamentally is freedom of self-expression and self-autonomy."

—Paul Miller

Synonyms

• left
• leftism
• left wing

Examples of liberalism in a Sentence

liberalism had always claimed to stand for the greatest social good

Recent Examples on the Web

Monthly: In defense of everything-bagel liberalism. —Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2025

The Golden State’s path to parity has not been serendipity or an inevitable result of California liberalism. —Barbara Boxer, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2025

For the White House, Harvard presents a major hurdle in its effort to force change at universities that Republicans claim have become hotbeds of liberalism and antisemitism. —Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2025

Among the more hidebound leaders of the Party, this new liberalism—call it late-Soviet wokeism—was intolerable. —David Remnick, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see liberal entry 1

First Known Use

1816, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Phrases Containing liberalism

• classical liberalism
• social liberalism

Rhymes for liberalism

• activism
• ageism
• albinism
• altruism
• aneurism
• animism
• aphorism
• atomism
• barbarism
• bolshevism
• botulism
• brahmanism

Kids Definition

liberalism

noun

lib·​er·​al·​ism ˈlib(-ə)-rə-ˌliz-əm 

: a political belief stressing progress, the essential goodness of humankind, and individual freedom